But first he gonna have Hillary gonna go over there an' tell `em what to do...U.S. role in post-Mubarak Egypt still unclear15 July`12 &#8211; Having pressed the new Egyptian president, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday will seek to mobilize what influence the United States still has with the army chief whose key role in post-Hosni Mubarak Egypt is splitting the country between those who see the military as a threat to democracy and those clinging to it as a guarantor of stability.

The United States sees it as a bit of both. Clinton's demand to the military will be simple: Work with Egypt's new Islamist leaders on a full transition to civilian rule. But with the U.S. having already approved yet another massive delivery of military aid, it is unclear what leverage the Obama administration has as it seeks to stabilize Egypt and build a new relationship with America's once ironclad Arab ally. The meeting with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi in Cairo comes with Egypt's transformation from dictatorship to democracy in peril.

Tantawi's council of generals is locked in a tense political standoff with the Muslim Brotherhood after curtailing the powers of its victorious President Mohamed Morsi on the eve of his inauguration last month and enforcing a court decision dissolving the Islamist-dominated parliament. Together the actions have created an atmosphere where no one is quite sure who is in control and where Egypt is headed. Seventeen months after the street demonstrations that ousted Mubarak, the United States is left without a friend and with little influence among a host of old and new political actors who can't seem to chart a mutual path forward. Calling for compromise and consensus on Saturday after her first ever meeting with Morsi, Clinton staked out a middle ground in the dispute. Yet the immediate effect of her exhortations was nothing.

For the Obama administration, the old prism supporting Egypt's military leaders as bedrock allies shattered with Mubarak's demise. It wants to safeguard U.S. interests in the region, from counterterrorism cooperation to Arab-Israeli peace efforts, but its agenda remains on hold while the Arab world's most populous nation remains mired in turmoil. The lack of clarity over who is going to prevail from Egypt's political maneuvering is only adding to the paralysis. Clinton, who earlier this year certified sufficient Egyptian action toward democracy for $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to go through, will likely carry the same message to Tantawi as Morsi. Without taking a position in disputes over parliament or how to draft a new constitution, Clinton will urge the long-time military chief to return the armed forces to a "purely national security role," as she termed it Saturday.

Her criticism was muted, however. Clinton commended the military for defending lives during the February 2011 revolution against the former president and for the progress Egypt made under its interim leadership, which included free and fair elections. And she contrasted the approach with how Syria's military is "murdering their own people," while recognizing that the Egyptian military authorities still needed to do more. It's unclear if she will adopt a tougher tone with Tantawi behind closed doors or what that might even yield from the generals, whose distrust of America is now almost as strong as that of the Brotherhood.

Dey throwin' tomatoes at Hillary...Egyptians pelt Clinton motorcade with tomatoesSun Jul 15, 2012 - Protesters threw tomatoes and shoes at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's motorcade on Sunday during her first visit to Egypt since the election of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

A tomato struck an Egyptian official in the face, and shoes and a water bottle landed near the armored cars carrying Clinton's delegation in the port city of Alexandria after she gave a speech on democratic rights. A senior U.S. official said neither Clinton nor her vehicle, which was around the corner from the incident, were hit by the projectiles, which were thrown as U.S. officials and reporters walked to the motorcade after her speech. Protesters chanted "Monica, Monica," a reference to the extra-marital affair conducted by Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, while in the White House. Others earlier chanted "leave, Clinton" an Egyptian security official said.

It was not clear who the protesters were or what were their political affiliations. Demonstrations have become common in Egypt since former President Hosni Mubarak, long-time U.S. ally, was brought down by mass street protests last year. Egypt is gripped by political uncertainty as two major forces, the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, engage in a power struggle over the future of a country that remains without a permanent constitution, parliament or government. On Saturday night, protesters outside Clinton's luxury hotel in Cairo chanted anti-Islamist slogans, accusing the United States of backing the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power.

In her speech at the newly re-opened U.S. consulate in Alexandria, Clinton rejected suggestions that the United States, which had long supported former Mubarak, was backing one faction or another in Egypt following his ouster last year. "I want to be clear that the United States is not in the business, in Egypt, of choosing winners and losers, even if we could, which of course we cannot," Clinton said. "We are prepared to work with you as you chart your course, as you establish your democracy," she added. "We want to stand for principles, for values, not for people or for parties."

Egypt Orthodox, Evangelical church reps refuse meeting with ClintonSunday 15 Jul 2012 - Church officials, Christian politicians decline invitations to meet with US secretary of state to protest perceived American interference in Egypt's domestic affairs.

Representatives of Egypt's Orthodox and Evangelical churches on Sunday morning declined invitations to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to protest perceived US interference in Egypt's internal affairs. Bishop Marcus of the Coptic Orthodox Church told Ahram Online that the clergymen's refusal to attend the meeting with Clinton was intended to voice "our rejection of US intervention in Egypt's domestic affairs and the Americans' strategy of favouring certain Egyptian political currents over others." Safwat El-Beyadi, head of Egypt's Evangelical Church, likewise refused to meet with Clinton, as did the leaders of other churches.

A number of Christian politicians  including rights activist Michael Mounir, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party's Emad Gad, former MP Georgette Qeleini and business tycoon Naguib Sawiris  also refused to meet with the US state secretary during her brief visit to Egypt. In a joint statement on Sunday, they expressed their displeasure over Clinton's decision to meet with members of Egypt's Coptic Christian community following earlier meetings with Muslim Brotherhood members and Salafists. They asserted that Clinton's move served to "promote sectarian divisions."

Egypt's Free Egyptians party, of which Sawiris is the founder, staged a protest on Saturday against Clinton's visit, calling on Egypt's various political forces to reject perceived US interference in the country's affairs. Clinton arrived in Cairo on Saturday, where she met with President Mohamed Morsi for the first time since his inauguration. The meeting with Egypt's first freely-elected head of state was followed by a Sunday meeting with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt's quasi-ruling military council.

I know they both say so, But Obama did Israel serious Harm when he suggested they should start at the 67 Borders as a starting position when Negotiating.

Obama has to know, from his own Military advisers, that the 1967 Borders of Israel are completely indefensible, and it would be an Invitation to Disaster to even think about asking them to return to them. It would be a recipe for a Another Arab Israeli War.

He Certainly Shook Jewish Americans, and Israelis Confidence in his support when he said that.

Great, he brings radicals to the table and takes them seriously. What an ass. I'm sure the destruction of Israel is top priority. Will have to wait till after the election, though, when he can be more flexible.

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